Dedication: My Little Soldier
by Colonel Hawkeye
Summary: What is going through the minds of the coworkers at Maes funeral? And how does Elysia come to understanding with the situation? [ONESHOT][Part of my dedication series]


Sob I wrote this as a little note of what was going through the minds of the many who were at Maes funeral. This one ends with Elysia, and that's why the song is centered on her. It started out being for Glacier/Gracia, but I changed it in the middle. Just read on and PLEASE Review!

SUMMARY: Maes Funeral, in the eyes of Elysia (And the others, but Elysia is the main)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own FMA; However, I do own the song "My Little Soldier". If you steal it, there'll be hell to pay!

CODE: Italicized is thoughts, bold is the song and "" are speech

_**MY LITTLE SOLDIER**_

Havoc had remembered all those times that he yelled at Maes to shut up about his little girl, but seeing her now made him want to cry. He could understand perfectly why Maes always bragged about her. She was so innocent, and sadly would never understand why they took her daddy. He flinched as she screamed her last plea for him to wake up. He knew it wouldn't happen, but the poor girl didn't. Something told him Maes heard the cries of his daughter, and wanted her to understand, but she wouldn't. She was too young. She never would. He gave a sidelong glance to the others he worked with. All of them stood strong, the typical un-readable faces of military personnel. Havoc knew that they eyes gave everything away, and right now, his were saying 'Let it be a dream'. He wished he could take back all those times he yelled at him. All those times he had made fun of him. He remembered all those bets they had made, and all those things they had done. It was always fun to torture Colonel, but now that wouldn't happen. Nothing would ever come from this. He looked over at Colonel Mustang, somehow getting the feeling he knew what he was thinking.

**It's alright, I don't mind.**

**Cause my hearts broken to many times.**

**Don't be scared, if I cry.**

**Cause I'll still be holding you from behind.**

**Don't you fear, of the dark,**

**Cause I'll still be with you in your heart.**

**Don't you need anything,**

**I'll be here, and I won't stray far**

Pride, Envy, Lust, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony...the ones responsible for his best friends' death. Right now he was feeling five of those feelings, and wanted it to stop. He clenched his fists under his uniform jacket. If there was a way to bring his friend back, it wasn't by being foolish. He envied him for his family, and ability to accept would happen. He lusted over his friend, he wanted him back. Not in a sexual way, but he found it wrong that the poor little girl would never have a father again, and Maes was the only missing piece to the puzzle for that family to be complete again. He felt greedy for all those times that Maes had spent time with him, arguing, or yelling at each other, and not with Elysia, or Gracia. He felt Pride, because he knew that even though his best friend was gone, he had the chance to know him, and use that to his advantage. He was glad for his friend in some way or another, but today was a sad day. But more-over, he felt wrath. If killing those people could bring his friend back, then he would do it! He wanted Maes back, to help him sort through his problems. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a foreboding voice whispered "Don't let it be in vain". Roy glanced over at Riza who was currently trying not to let her feelings show, but her expression faltered, and a tear slipped.

**I know you don't want me to leave,**

**And for some reason it's natural to me.**

**I need you more then anything,**

**And I know that you need me.**

**When I'm gone, I want you to know**

**I'll be here to help you trough.**

Her amber eyes focused on the coffin as it was lowered into the grave. She held her salute, like the others, but too much was going through her head for her to think about anything else. Being the logical one, she was doing what any logical person would do. Thinking, planning, scheming... _Why did it have to be him? Maes was the sweetest guy on earth, and had a lot to live for! Damn it Maes! Why did you have to go and get yourself killed?_ Her gaze fell to the ground in shame. He didn't choose for it to happen. It just did. She had to be strong, she had to be a soldier, and she would. Maes needed his men to be strong right now. She began to wonder how they broke the news to Gracia. It must have been hard, being a mother and loosing a husband. Her thoughts then slid to Roy. _That could have been him!_ She put herself in Gracia's shoes so she'd know what to say later on, and audibly gasped, as she vividly saw what happened flash before her eyes. Roy's gaze shifted to her, but she wouldn't let on, and her eyes were solemn as they watched them burry a long lost friend. She wanted to do something. Anything, but she couldn't. She wasn't an alchemist, and even if she tried, she couldn't bring him back. He would only live on in memories. Riza sighed. It was sad...They would never know why he was killed. They would never know anything about the attackers, either.

**Should something go wrong,**

**I want you to stand strong.**

**If I should not return,**

**Then let these memories burn.**

**Don't look back, keep moving,**

**Cause knowing your safe is soothing.**

**I want you to move on, **

**But just remember the simple song.**

Furher King Bradley watched with little remorse as they buried the wretched Colonel. It was good to finally be rid of him. The man was a pest, and got his just deserts. He had to remember to thank Envy for a thrilling performance. He knew that there had to be a way to rid the military of Mustang, too, since Maes undoubtedly left information for him, but that would come later. He sighed as the little girl of his cried out to him. He had half a mind to kick her with his sword, but decided against it. The air got cold, and breezed past at an alarming rate. Elysia screamed for him to wake up again, and when he didn't, she wrapped her little body around her mother's leg, and started crying. For half a second there, he thought he was sad for her. He knew he would die eventually too, but that wasn't for a long time. And thankfully, his kid didn't catch on. When all was said and done, he heard someone call to him, and took a moment to put on his general facade, looking toward the person calling him. He smiled a bit, and walked toward the woman recognizing her in the breeze as Juliet Douglass. One of the ones who helped him get rid of the wretched man...

**I know you don't want me to leave,**

**And for some reason it's natural to me.**

**I need you more then anything,**

**And I know that you need me.**

**When I'm gone, I want you to know**

**I'll be here to help you trough.**

Gracia had nothing to say. She watched in horror as the only person she ever loved was buried in the ground. She had told him to be careful, she had told him to be smart, and use his head, but Maes often forgot. Protecting his family was the one thing he ever did that made her upset. It wasn't that he cared so much, that it bothered her, but had he not bragged about them as he so often did, he may have been with her right now. She wanted to cry, but she knew if she did, that Elysia would know something was wrong, and at this point in time, she was wracking her brain trying to think of a way to tell the little girl, but still be logical. She felt the little girl's warm body close around hers, and she knelt beside her, for the first time letting down tears. She felt betrayed that he hadn't listened to her, but how was he supposed to know? She mentally kicked herself for thinking something like that, and hugged her little girl, tighter. She had told Elysia that her daddy was only going to sleep, but she knew that the little girl would ask questions later, as they so often did. She feared that moment more then anything, because she wouldn't know what to say, and, even now, she didn't. The little girl moved a bit, and Gracia let go, walking toward the grave with Elysia in tow.

**Don't be afraid of the night,**

**I'll be here to hold you tight.**

**Hold onto dreams, and never surrender,**

**In the end I know you'll remember.**

**I want you, my little soldier,**

**To stay strong for me.**

**Because, Elysia,**

**I need you to take care of your mommy.**

Elysia looked at the grave. She was young yet, but she could read just fine. She knew that her dad wasn't coming back, and it scared her, but she wanted to believe he would. _"He'll be going to sleep for a little while"_ echoed across her mind. It was a lie. All of it! He wasn't coming back, and there was nothing she could do! She fell to her knees and traced the lettering of the grave. _Maes Hughes...Loving Father_, was all that registered in her mind. She heard a voice in the back of her mind, and knew exactly who it was.

_"Daddy?" she asked a bit scared._

_"Hello, Elysia-Chan!" he stated excitedly._

_"Where did you go? How comes I can't see you?" she begged him._

_He chucked lightly. "I'm gone, dear. I won't be coming back." She was about to cry when he continued. "Elysia, you need to be strong for me, ok?"_

_She smiled and nodded, the realized he couldn't see her and said yes._

_"Mommy's gonna have a hard time dealing with this, so for her sake don't ask about what happened. Ask about me every-so-often to remind her I'm still here, but be strong for me, little Soldier." _

_Elysia emitted a muffled yes. "Good girl."_ he stated, and faded into the darkened abyss of her mind. She placed the flowers on the grave, blew a kiss, and took her mother's hand, walking away. She looked back, and read the name again. _"Loving father..."_ and smiled knowing she made her father proud. After all, she was his little soldier.

**I know you don't want me to leave,**

**And for some reason it's natural to me.**

**I need you more then anything,**

**And I know that you need me.**

**When I'm gone, I want you to know**

**I'll be here to help you trough.**

------------

Elysia was VERY grown-up in this. I know it's out of character, but at least it got to the point I was trying to get across. **THIS IS A ONE SHOT, AND NOTHING MORE!** It' dedicated to a friend named Andrew for his friend Caitlyn Oto, Who died recently. Andrew had trouble forgetting, so here's for you, Andrew! Sorry for the short chapter, but I couldn't really think of much to say. I guess this can be classified as a drabble.

.:JaZmInE:.


End file.
